New amp. Sorta.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:06 am

fuck multi-paost.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:09 am

shit multi-poaaast. see below:

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:10 am

MY INTERNETS POWER SEARCH HAS FOUND:

ebay username: echoverb

he's into stoner/doom/sludge metal and punk shit
plays bass and guitar
has a full time job (has bought lots of expensive shit)

the dust in the amp looks like he's never taken the actual chassis out.
since he has money and bought a mesa boogie, he probably doesn't know a whole lot about servicing his own amplifiers. so, he may not have noticed that anything was wrong with it the few months he's had it. he probably didn't replace the tubes and just thinks it doesn't have a sound he likes.

HERE'S THE PAGE WHERE THAT GUY (echoverb) BOUGHT THE MATAMP ORIGINALLY:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0262116692

Used, some nicks, scrapes, and stains in tolex. This was manufactured in Huddersfield, England around the year 2000, and is the real dealâ€”no longer made. In spite of their reputation for being unreliable, this amp has never had a problem, and sounds amazing. Although the face plate states it is a 120 watt amp, it is indeed 60 watts (which may explain its reliability). It uses (4) EL34 power tubes. These were hand made, and whatever face plates were laying around the Matamp shop that day were used. The 60 watt rating allows you to really open it up, and let the power tubes growl! It could stand some new power tubes at this point. This amp was just given a clean bill of health by an experienced and reputable amp technician. See pics, and notice that one nut on the rear panel (for speaker output #1) is missing, but could easily be replaced by a tech. This thing sounds monstrous!

I would message that guy that sold it and ask if the transformer was loose or whatever.

The circuit looks fine, here's another matamp:

2 Printed Circuit Boards during the experimental era of Matamp UK, Huddersfield.

you amp is probably from this period.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:29 am

Did you receive the amp with cover on like that or did you put it on backwards yourself?

Post by **dots** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:34 am

SCIENCE BY SLOAN

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:37 am

wow, thanks sloan. the back panel was probably reversed by me. i couldn't remember which way it went.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 4:05 am

brograbz

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:57 am

on closer inspection, it does appear to have the same power tubes as it did in the old auction (where the guy recommended replacing them). is it possible that the volume loss could simply be a matter of bad power tubes?

versus

you can see the white stickers at the base of the tubes.

now that i think of it, when i told the guy the amp wasn't working properly he asked if i had put the tubes in the right order. i then noticed that he had put little numbers on the base of each tube. with a matched quad, it shouldn't matter which order they are placed in, should it? it's likely that the order he specified was just the same order they came in when he got the amp and have never been changed. maybe he is just a noob.
sloan's investigation brings up a lot more questions. i really wish the original auction had pictures of the amp without the back cover. i can't tell the state of the transformers in that original picture.

Will · Post by **Will** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 6:21 am

It could be power tubes. Do you know someone with a spare quad? Seems like a waste to spend $70 on new tubes when that might not be the problem.

I don't know how a drop would cause the volume issues you're describing, unless it damaged some already weakened tubes. See if you can get a working quad in there and check it. Those transformer mounts should be like $5 to replace and you can always bend the chassis back into shape.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 6:21 am

yeah, i was mainly trying to figure out the transformer too.

i think "echoverb" thinks the amp doesn't sound good because he didn't try new tubes like the other guy recommended, so he just tried to sell it off after he bought the mesa/boogie.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 6:25 am

DuoSonicBoy wrote:It could be power tubes. Do you know someone with a spare quad? Seems like a waste to spend $70 on new tubes when that might not be the problem.

I don't know how a drop would cause the volume issues you're describing, unless it damaged some already weakened tubes. See if you can get a working quad in there and check it. Those transformer mounts should be like $5 to replace and you can always bend the chassis back into shape.

same here, i think the drop probably just damaged the tubes. i think you can only really fuck up a transformer electrically.

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:02 am

the tubes were actually removed from the amp and just placed inside wrapped in bubble wrap. i don't think a drop would've damaged them. they were probably just bad to begin with. the only other thing i can think of is that a drop would have jostled something loose inside, but that doesn't seem to be the case. at least not that i can tell. i guess it's possible that there was already something wrong with the amp and a drop just caused some cosmetic damage.
i'm gonna call an amp tech tomorrow and see what he thinks. if it's just a simple matter of replacing the tubes or a small, low-cost repair, i'll just suck it up and do it. i'd really like to keep the amp. that's kinda the reason i bought it.

euan · Post by **euan** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 4:17 pm

Immense post Sloan. That was some nice work.

It does sound like bad tubes I guess. Duds would certainly reduce your volume.

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 6:43 pm

astro wrote:That sucks. I hope you get a refund, or at least I hope the seller pays for the repairs in full.

I played one of these Green Matamps in a shop a few months ago... absolutely killer rawk tones. If I had the money I would have bought it!

Really? Where? Boutique too fucking expensive for you Tone?

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:56 pm

just got off the phone with an amp tech. he reckons that the output transformer is bad and recommends that i just try and get a refund.

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:25 pm

Ok, now the seller is trying to convince me that there is nothing wrong with the amp, that matamp always installs their transformers tilted over, that the amp will only work properly with the tubes placed in the order he specified, and that I must clearly be doing it wrong.

James · Post by **James** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:28 pm

I'd say get some gutshots of amps with straight transformers, try here for some...

http://officialmatampownersclub.yuku.com/

and (more importantly) look into starting a paypal dispute.

James · Post by **James** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:28 pm

Actually, registering and posting on that forum might lead you to someone who has had a similar problem with their Matamp. Worth a go anyway.

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:33 pm

i sent him a link to www.planetoftheamps.com which has gut shots of tons of matamps. none of them have tilted transformers.
also, i spoke with the guy who sold it to echoverb and he said the transformers weren't leaning over when he sold it and that it must have been damaged in transit. i don't think i'm quite ready to believe that echoverb knowingly sold me a dud, but he sure doesn't seem willing to take responsibility for the situation.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:34 pm

bubbles_horwitz wrote:....matamp always installs their transformers tilted over....

lol.